Activist HQ to voice APEC concerns

SYDNEY, Sep 4(Reuters) On a quiet Sydney street a short stroll from APEC's main convention hall and facing an adult video store, an alliance of climate, church and rights groups have set up a rival to this week's Asia-Pacific leaders' meet.

Outside the steel-and-concrete fence sealing off US President George W. Bush, his Russian and Chinese counterparts and 18 other world leaders from protests, groups from Greenpeace to unions and the Catholic Church are determined to have a voice.

''We have a whole lot of concerns around democracy, and the rhetoric coming from the leaders is not based on democracy, and the meeting is not representative,'' Union Aid Abroad international programmes manager Ken Davis told Reuters.

''APEC does not engage with civil society,'' Greenpeace spokesman Cindy Baxter said.

''We have people who could make a great contribution to these meetings, but we are locked out, which is unusual for any other international meeting.'' In a trade union headquarters, the activist alliance has set up a coffee lounge complete with barista, fair trade brews and low-slung couches in stylish red, white and charcoal hues.

Briefing rooms and communications benches help facilitate twice-daily news conferences for whoever wants to listen.

''Stop the war on Iraq'', ''Half the world, 3 billion people, live on less than SYDNEY, Sep 4(Reuters) On a quiet Sydney street a short stroll from APEC's main convention hall and facing an adult video store, an alliance of climate, church and rights groups have set up a rival to this week's Asia-Pacific leaders' meet.

Outside the steel-and-concrete fence sealing off US President George W. Bush, his Russian and Chinese counterparts and 18 other world leaders from protests, groups from Greenpeace to unions and the Catholic Church are determined to have a voice.

''We have a whole lot of concerns around democracy, and the rhetoric coming from the leaders is not based on democracy, and the meeting is not representative,'' Union Aid Abroad international programmes manager Ken Davis told Reuters.

''APEC does not engage with civil society,'' Greenpeace spokesman Cindy Baxter said.

''We have people who could make a great contribution to these meetings, but we are locked out, which is unusual for any other international meeting.'' In a trade union headquarters, the activist alliance has set up a coffee lounge complete with barista, fair trade brews and low-slung couches in stylish red, white and charcoal hues.

Briefing rooms and communications benches help facilitate twice-daily news conferences for whoever wants to listen.

''Stop the war on Iraq'', ''Half the world, 3 billion people, live on less than $2 a day'', posters dotting the walls read.

Greenpeace energy campaigner Mark Davis said he was concerned by Australian Prime Minister John Howard's goal as APEC host to forge agreement on an alternative to the Kyoto climate pact aiming for only ''aspirational'' greenhouse emission controls.

''For this meeting to have a positive outcome it has to drag Bush towards Kyoto,'' he said.

''The real risk is that not only does this not deliver, but that the meeting pushes us in the wrong direction.'' APEC was set up to promote trade liberalisation and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, although it has begun to tackle other issues including security and climate change.

Baxter said the Kyoto Protocol setting greenhouse gas emission caps, and which Australia and the US alone among APEC members have refused to ratify, was more effective than aspirational targets, which had been tried and failed.

Scrapping Kyoto would also cut off developing economies including China from funding for greenhouse reduction projects that had delivered $8 billion worth of credits since 2002.

''The developed world has shifted its manufacturing to China to cut costs and then blames China for rising emissions. It's outrageous,'' Baxter said.

Davis said APEC needed to grow its original economic agenda to include a social justice mission tempering the impact of rapid growth on those least able to cope with rapid change.

''APEC needs to grow towards a human resources focus which is not only about skills and education for the economy, but around labour migration and a decent work agenda than doesn't exacerbate inequality,'' he said.

Leaders had also failed to deal with the troubled South Pacific, with only Papua New Guinea represented from island countries likely to be hit hard by climate and rising sea levels.

''All of this is an insult to the sovereignty of Pacific nations who are much more frontline on questions of global warming and labour migration,'' Davis said.

''The APEC that needs to be built is one that has some sort of respect for the Pacific Ocean countries.'' REUTERS NC AS1403 a day'', posters dotting the walls read.

Greenpeace energy campaigner Mark Davis said he was concerned by Australian Prime Minister John Howard's goal as APEC host to forge agreement on an alternative to the Kyoto climate pact aiming for only ''aspirational'' greenhouse emission controls.

''For this meeting to have a positive outcome it has to drag Bush towards Kyoto,'' he said.

''The real risk is that not only does this not deliver, but that the meeting pushes us in the wrong direction.'' APEC was set up to promote trade liberalisation and economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, although it has begun to tackle other issues including security and climate change.

Baxter said the Kyoto Protocol setting greenhouse gas emission caps, and which Australia and the US alone among APEC members have refused to ratify, was more effective than aspirational targets, which had been tried and failed.

Scrapping Kyoto would also cut off developing economies including China from funding for greenhouse reduction projects that had delivered billion worth of credits since 2002.

''The developed world has shifted its manufacturing to China to cut costs and then blames China for rising emissions. It's outrageous,'' Baxter said.

Davis said APEC needed to grow its original economic agenda to include a social justice mission tempering the impact of rapid growth on those least able to cope with rapid change.

''APEC needs to grow towards a human resources focus which is not only about skills and education for the economy, but around labour migration and a decent work agenda than doesn't exacerbate inequality,'' he said.

Leaders had also failed to deal with the troubled South Pacific, with only Papua New Guinea represented from island countries likely to be hit hard by climate and rising sea levels.

''All of this is an insult to the sovereignty of Pacific nations who are much more frontline on questions of global warming and labour migration,'' Davis said.

''The APEC that needs to be built is one that has some sort of respect for the Pacific Ocean countries.'' REUTERS NC AS1403